


Life Changes and New Futures

by DawnMunn



Series: Rota series [1]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2018-10-28 17:07:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10835601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnMunn/pseuds/DawnMunn
Summary: Tony takes the Rota promotion and when he meets his new SFA a new friendship is born. But as he gets to know her he discovers that she has been treated badly by the director and tries to repair the damage that has been done. Does he succeed in the endeavour and what will become of their relationship? Set around season 4 but will be AU.





	1. Chapter 1

Life Changes and New Futures.  
Chapter 1.  
It had been a month since Tony had made the decision to take up the directors’ offer of having his own team in Rota Spain. Following Gibbs return from Mexico. To start off with he was going to remain as SFA on Gibbs team. But after having a really busy time with case after case and also feeling pressured into doing an undercover assignment for the director. When he finally got some time to himself and sat in the quiet having a serious think about it all he decided to take the job. Especially as his gut was telling him that there wasn't something right about the undercover assignment that Jenny wanted him involved in. It seemed as though he wasn't going to be getting much in the way of backup. Not only that she had also told him that if it came down to it, then he would have to sleep with their mark. Yes he always knew that he should expect something like that to happen on an undercover assignment, as even both Gibbs and Ziva had admitted to doing it in their time. But because of the way the assignment felt like it was an unsanctioned one. He just didn't feel comfortable doing it especially if he hadn't got any backup near by.  
After having made the decision to take up the new job he then took some personal time off. Using that time to have a bit of a vacation and also go to Spain to find himself somewhere new to live. In which he found the most gorgeous apartment that he fell in love with instantly, he put an offer in for it and when it got accepted he was really happy about it. In just those few weeks though he found himself feeling so much more relaxed and happy in himself, he even admitted to himself that he was feeling the same as he had done when Kate joined the team and all of that had come crashing down when she was killed. Although the only thing he didn’t really understand, was that as he did his research into his new team and the solve rate of cases. With the SFA who had taken the lead temporarily the solve rate had actually risen. Even though at the same time she was carer for her mom alongside her sister. Despite that she’d still worked damned hard in her job and didn’t let it get to her. Not only that he also saw that her evals were off the chart as well as having high recommendations for the team lead job. So he couldn’t understand why in the hell the director had passed her over for the job. Especially as she had also been SFA there for about as long as he’d been in DC.

 

Once he’d met and got to know Natalie he soon found that she was a really great woman and he absolutely adored her. Not in an ‘I love you’ way, but in a very strong friendship kind of way. He’d gone into the office for the first time on the night before he was due to start the new job, to just really get himself acquainted with things and get himself prepared for his first day. When he got there it was to find her alone in the bullpen catching up with paperwork, because the team had just closed a big case that day. As he introduced himself she said that she was going to change back to her old desk when she was done. But he told her not to worry about it and that they should perhaps change things round a bit and he would take her old desk instead. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but just form sitting with her like that that first night things just felt so comfortable and right with it being like that. When she eventually packed up for the night she then gave him a quick tour of the building, although the thing he still couldn’t believe was that he still hadn’t got away from the orange being everywhere in sight! He also said to her that he didn’t want her to feel like he had taken the job away from her and he hoped that the two of them would work well together as a partnership in their lead roles. Plus if at anytime she did have any problems at all then she was to come to him about it. As she lightly touched his arm and said with a wry smile that all she wanted was someone that she could respect as much as she had done with their last leader Clive, then she would be very happy. And just from what she’d seen from him that night she knew already that she would get that from him and she would always have his six. To which he replied that he would always have hers to. A week later she certainly proved that her words were so very true. Because as yet he was only driving form his apartment to the office and doing mostly small journeys because of still learning the area. So she’d driven them to what was their suspect’s house. They hadn’t managed to get anything out of him, but they had certainly said something that he hadn’t liked and was probably too close to home. Because as they both drove back to the office again the suspect had given chase to them and had attempted to run them off the road. Somehow she had not only managed to keep them on the road, but with the manoeuvres she used she’d got him off the road in a safe way instead, and then blocked him in so they were able to transport him themselves back to the office and under arrest. It wasn’t until later on that he learnt that she’d served in the navy and had also worked for MI6 and had worked for the royal family. Hence the reason why she was able to drive in that way, because she had been taught to take evasive action if it was required at anytime.

 

In the second week she also invited him round to hers for breakfast one morning at the weeks end. Over the breakfast they talked about that week’s work and the progress of the team. As they both seemed to find that session helpful to one another, he returned the favour the next week and after that it seemed to become their Friday tradition. While they were having the session they’d also left orders with the team that they were to catch up on paperwork and do cold cases, then if a case did come in then they would meet them all at the crime scene. It had also become a traditional thing that whether the team were on call or not at the weekend they would have a BBQ as a team which they would either hold at hers or his and sometimes they would just pack a pic-nick and have it on the beach. They would also don it like that because they had soon made the discovery that the two of them actually lived next door to one another. Because even though she was carer for her mom who lived the other side next door to her. It was easier for her to have her own place because she could then come and go as she pleased specially if they did get a really early or late call out or even if a case went on late. She could leave or come back without actually disturbing anyone. In just those first few weeks Tony could see that it was because of this that made the team gel just so well together as they all respected each other a whole lot better. Not only that if they need to be disciplined for anything they took things a lot better. He was also quite surprised as well at how the team also pulled round Natalie over her mom. Because if one of them sensed that something was off with her or thought something was wrong, they would pull her off to one side and check on her. Not only that one Saturday morning when they weren’t on call he was out running on the beach he ran into her and they then kept running together and he also managed to keep up with her. It was on a day that she was letting her sister Jess have a respite day, so she was out really early so that she could get her run in early because of being with her mom all day. Not only that she was also just starting to up her running training because the local marathon would be announced soon. Which both she and the team would do to raise money for the charity that was researching and trying to find a cure for the disease that her mom had.

 

In a way to find out what she went through with her mom he did go round there with her and even though she and Jess did do everything between them, he could see how tough it was for them. Yes they did also have various other carers going in to help them with things, but predominantly the two girls were on their own. He also found himself amazed that she could still manage to do her job to such a high standard with everything that was happening for her at home. Although what did make him laugh was that because her mom couldn’t speak they used sign language with her as well as written notes to communicate. Because of seeing the look on his face when she introduced him to her mom in sign he then explained about Abby and Gibbs using it and how it would get really annoying when the two of them would be talking about you right in front of you knowing that you couldn’t understand it. So with that she promised him that she would teach it to him. What he also found sweet was that as Natalie was getting them some lunch sorted out, as he went to see if he could help her with anything, Dionne her mom grabbed his arm and slipped a note into his hand. When he looked at it, it said please look after her and keep her safe. He was going to write a note back to her, but somehow he could tell that the look on his face had told her what she wanted to know. So he just added by whispering into her ear “I do promise and mean it.” And he knew from her touch afterwards that it was all that she needed to know.

 

Later on when her mom went down for a sleep, the two of them headed out to have a coffee on the balcony. As the two of them talked he told her about how he’d started in DC, about the team there and some other things about his life. All in all during their conversation he couldn’t believe how much he was actually revealing about himself to a woman at that as well. Because he found himself telling her more than he would do with a woman normally. And as he thought about it he guessed that he had probably revealed more to her than any woman that he actually dated.

 

Over everyone in DC he’d kept in touch with Jimmy and McGee mostly, but had also exchanged the odd E mail with Abby and the odd phone call with Gibbs as well, which was quite hard considering he was a functional mute!

 

At the end of his first month there when he found himself alone in the bullpen one night and found himself getting a bit reflective over things. And he found himself thinking that he was loving this new life of his so very much and was so happy that he’d taken the promotion and job. Plus as he looked back at Natalie’s empty desk, he couldn’t believe that the two of them were such great friends and even if in his own little way he did love her. He didn’t actually want to spoil things between the two of them by becoming more than that between them. Especially with their working relationship as well because he looked on her as more of an equal than it being team lead and SFA. On the quiet he had also managed to ask her in a roundabout way if she’d been offered the lead job and if she’d been offered it even with the situation with her mom would she have taken it? She then admitted that she had actually applied for the job, but Jenny had told her that she’d already had someone for the job. And that it was a good few months before they found out that he was coming to them. She also admitted that originally she wasn’t going to apply for the job because of her mom, but then her brother Christian who he hadn’t met yet. But who makes sure that she and Jess get a weekend completely off once a month and a week off every couple of months. Had told her to go for it because between them all they would sort something out so that she could do the job and the same would go for if at anytime she applied for a team lead job somewhere else. But she would most probably leave it alone for now and perhaps do it in the future. Because she didn’t really want to say anything against the director. But from the attitude that she got from her, she had a feeling that it may not happen until a new director was in place. As she couldn’t work out why she was preventing her from moving on with a promotion, because she certainly hadn’t got any ambitions to go as far as a director position. If she managed to get just as far as a team lead and then met Mr Right and have a family, then she would be happy with just that.

 

After that on the quiet Tony started doing some digging, especially after working it out that when the director had turned her down for the team lead job it was another few months before she had offered him the job. It also made him laugh at how contradictory Jenny Shepherd had been, because she was all ‘there should be more chances for women agents at promotions etc.’ But here was a woman that was more than qualified to be a team lead and wasn’t. He then also found out that originally Jenny had offered the job to Sec Navs niece, but that she’d also turned it down. Because she had come and spent time with the team. But with the report that she’d handed in afterwards she’d said that she wasn’t comfortable as team lead to a team that was so close knit to one another. It had also seemed that with Sec Navs niece turning the job down, Jenny’s relationship with him had seemed to have cooled somewhat and that Natalie had seemed to have ended up being the casualty of it all. Because of the injustice of it all, he decided that he wanted to try and get it all corrected.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the couple are split apart with Natalie's new job will they find a way back together and tell each other the truth about their feeling for one another, only time will tell!!!

Life Changes and New Futures.

 

In the end it was six months later when everything changed for the team because of everything that the director was trying to push them into helping her with. It seemed that she’d got a vendetta against an arms dealer called La Granouille or ‘The Frog.’ Which they found out was because of his alleged involvement with the death of her father. As even though the death had been ruled a suicide she was convinced that he was responsible for it. Via McGee Tony had also found out that Jenny had put a new agent onto Balboa’s team. The rumour was that this new agent was doing the undercover job that Tony had been earmarked for. A rumour also started that The Frog was also trying to set up a pipeline via Rota. Hearing that Tony guessed that it wouldn’t be long before Jenny came knocking on their door for help once again. In the end he was proved oh so right about it. Because just a few weeks later she called him to say that she was coming over to have a meeting with him.

 

Just before Jenny’s arrival Tony clued Natalie into everything including the way that to try and persuade him to do the undercover op, Jenny would always insist that they had private meeting in her office. So he asked Natalie to be present even if Jenny asked her to leave. Because this time he wanted to make sure that he wasn’t alone with her and also so he could get evidence on what the plan was. Of course Natalie promised him that she would be there right by his side. So when Jenny did arrive and said that she wanted to talk privately to him in the office, as Natalie made a move to follow them Jenny said “That doesn’t include her.” In a very snide way. But the two of them stood their ground as Tony said that Natalie was his second in command and if whatever she wanted was to include the team he wasn’t going to make decisions without her opinion as well. For Jenny’s proposal it was that she wanted a couple of members of their team to go undercover. One to go undercover as a dock worker at the docks and the other one to be undercover with the private jet airline that The Frog used. When Tony asked her about them getting replacements for those team members that would be missing Jenny told him that they wouldn’t be getting anyone. So Tony left it with telling Jenny that he and Natalie would have to talk about it and then get back to her about it. Then later on after work that night he and Natalie talked about it all. Not only did the two of them not like the idea of being two team members down and having to still continue in their duties. Not only that they could also be in trouble if the worst did happen and the two undercover agents got into any trouble at the same time, because they wouldn’t have enough team members to be able to get to them both and provide help. So in the end the two of them agreed that because of everything feeling so very hinky about the whole op, they ought to take it to the assistant director to see what he said about things. Especially with the two of them knowing about Jenny’s previous relationship with the Sec Nav they didn’t feel safe with taking it to him.

 

So that is what the two of them did and assistant director Leon Vance ended up going to them and meeting with them. He agreed that the two of them should remain as a team to turn Jenny down for the op. They would set up bugs in the office and work it as their own undercover op, but he would of course be in the office next door listening to everything that was being said. Not only that he would chose a moment to walk in and would see if she would then explain anything about the op to him when they did say no to him.

 

While they had Vance in the office, Tony also managed to get a private talk with him over Natalie being passed over for the job. When Vance bought things up saying that perhaps with Natalie being carer to her mom Jenny was probably thinking that Natalie wouldn’t be able to cope with the job and that was why she’d turned her down. But then Tony explained to him that her brother Christian had encouraged her to go for it because they could organize things for her being able to do the job. Not only that he had met Christian and they had talked and had told him that they didn’t want her to miss out on promotions and things with her career. So he had told her to say at any interviews she had that she had to say there were plans in place so that she could fulfil her job requirements. What Natalie actually didn’t know was that Christian did actually have plans in place if she did ever get a new job, so what she said in interview was the truth even if she didn’t know about it. Thinking that it could possibly have something to do with numbers falling when she took over as team lead temporarily Tony had gone over them himself and found that the solve rate had risen when she took over the job. He then explained that when he talked to her about things she had told him about applying for the team lead job and that Jenny had told her that the job had already been taken. He also knew that when Jenny said it, it had been ages after Sec Nav’s niece had turned the job down and it had still been quite a while before she’d then offered him the job. He also added that he’d observed her do the job before he came in and took over himself. Seeing that and also knowing how well that the two of them worked together he knew that she was more than capable of doing the job. So with that Vance promised Tony that he would look into everything for him.

 

On the day that Jenny came back for their answer. Once again as Natalie went to go with Tony to give her their answer, Jenny tried to stop her from going along as well to see Tony privately. But he stood his ground saying that the two of them had made the final decision together, not only that it was also Natalie’s job to be there as his second in command. Of course as soon as she got the answer no she was off on a tirade trying to make them take the op on. As per he and Natalie’s prior agreement Tony said “Jenny you’re not giving us any agents as back up and I’m not going to be putting any of our agents in danger. I’m sorry director but it just isn’t happening.” Right on the cue Vance then walked into the office saying “What’s going on here?” While Tony and Natalie were trying to explain about what was going on. Jenny first of all attempted to blame the two of them for insubordination and that they were presuming what was going to be happening in an authorized op. But when Vance told her that there was nothing on record about the op and they had the proof that both Natalie and Tony were doing what they could to protect their team, she changed tack to try and say that she’d not asked them to do anything of the sort. After a couple of minutes tense silence Tony and Natalie were then for a shock. Because right there and then on the spot Vance took Jenny’s creds and gun off of her placing her under suspension from duty pending an investigation.

 

A couple of weeks later Vance was back again and first of all spoke to Tony saying that he couldn’t go into to much detail because of the ongoing investigation. But it had seemed that for some reason Jenny had thought that Natalie was her competition. So because of that things had appeared in Natalie’s file, which had been checked out and proved to be false and now also taken out of her file to. If the two of them hadn’t reported her for what was going on and Tony hadn’t bought up the things he had. Because of what was in her file she most probably wouldn’t have got any further than SFA in her career. As because of what was in her file it would have knocked her out of the running for a team lead job right away. So far in the investigation it had also shown them that Jenny had made a few mistakes and had bought in some big changes in offices that had not been needed. The only offices that had been left unscathed were New York, DC and there in Rota. The only thing that had happened in DC was the agent she’d got to do the job that she was trying to get Tony to do had been discovered and had now also been dealt with. The reason for coming to see them was that because of everything that had happened so far. There was a plan to clean the offices up and to bring in some very big changes across the board. In the bigger NCIS office’s they were planning on having two MCRT teams, so that whichever team was on duty would always have a back up team in place. The first offices where this change was happening was going to be in New York and there in Rota. He wanted to Tony to keep the team there as the number one team and head it up. While as part of her compensation package for what had happened to her, they wanted to offer Natalie the chance of heading up the number one team in New York. As yet they weren’t sure about how much they could actually reveal to her. But as the other part of her package NCIS would be paying for an apartment in New York and would also be paying her moving expenses, as well as there also being a monetary payout as well. They had also been in touch with her brother which they were going to keep quiet about and between them all they were sorting things out for her moms care. As the family also trusted Tony so much they also wanted to make sure that he did keep in close contact with her. So that if anything did happen to her mom at anytime, they wanted him to be the familiar face that would be able to go and tell her what was going on. So if anything did occur at anytime then Tony was to get to New York as soon as he could, but also let him know what was happening as well, because he was now stepping up and becoming the new director at NCIS. As they finish the talk Tony also asks him that if it is possible and Natalie of course did take the job, could he take some leave and help her with her move as well as helping her to find an apartment, which Vance does agree to him doing.

 

After speaking to Tony Vance then saw Natalie and gave her the job offer and then left with some thinking time about it. It was a very difficult decision for her to come to and she did certainly talk to everyone about it. Especially with her mom because she also finally admitted to her that she had fallen in love with Tony. Her mom then told her that she should truly follow her heart and do what she felt she needed to do. If it was to take the job then she was to do that. But if it was to stay there and tell Tony how she truly felt about him, then she was to do that. But if she still wasn’t sure about telling him the truth about how she felt. Then perhaps what she should do is take the job and give it something like six months. If she did still then feel the same about him. Then she should come home and tell him the truth and if by any chance he did also have feelings for her to, then the two of them would decide on what they wanted to from that point on. So in the end that’s what she did, she took the job and decided that she would give it six months and if she did still feel the same way for Tony then she would be back to talk to him.

 

Three months later:

 

As Natalie took her seat in the bullpen for the first official day of being head of the new MCRT team, she found that she was feeling both nervous but also excited about it. Especially as with everything that had happened over the last few months with her move from Spain and everything it had felt like it had dragged on time wise and like they would never actually get to this day. Along with all of that she had also hand picked all the members of the team herself, which had also become a team of five. Liam was her SFA and had come from Marseille to them. After FLETC he had worked the European desk in DC before joining his first team at the Great Lakes office, it was then at that office he’d got his experience of undercover work. He went to Marseille as what was to a temporary assignment as SFA when that team’s one had been injured. Even he had become a party in the Jenny Shepherd debacle though. Because after returning back to the Great Lakes following the Marseille’s SFA return. He’d then gone onto apply for other SFA jobs and had never even got to interview. They’d also got Charles who preferred to be called Charlie. He had just completed his Probie period with Vance in San Diego. Then finally they had Bethany who was going to be their Probie after having only just completed at FLETC and this was her first posting as an agent.

 

Not long after Natalie’s arrival Liam was the next in and as he came out of the elevator a man came out carrying a really big bunch of flowers in his arms. Natalie was then very surprised when they came in her direction. She was then even more surprised when it actually turned out to be two big bouquets of flowers. One bunch was from her mom and sister, while the other bunch had come from Tony.

 

Over Tony she had already sort of guessed that he did most probably have feelings for her as well. Because it had just seemed that when he came to New York with her to find the really gorgeous apartment that she’d got and when he also helped her with the move, they had just grown a lot closer to one another. On his final night with her he’d cooked them a really gorgeous meal that they’d eaten together up the dinning table in candlelight. And as she watched him as they ate she could see it in his eyes that there was something there and he had feelings for her too. After the meal they’d lit the fire on her patio to have their drinks together and they ended up lying on the outdoor sofa together as they had the drinks. As they laid there together she had really loved the feeling of their bodies being so close together and the warmth that was coming off the both of them. Even so the two of them still didn’t confess how they felt to one another. Then the next day when he left she managed to hold onto her emotions right up until he had finally gone, then she dissolved in tears. Since him leaving they had of course kept in touch with each other via phone calls, texts and E mails. Which of course when she got anything from him she couldn’t help the smile that would appear on her face. Of course both Jess and her mom would keep in touch as well via calls from Jess and E mails with E mails from her mom. And they would also always tell her when he’d either been round for a meal with them or even if he’d just called in on them to make sure that everything was ok. Which also made her suspicious about him having feelings for her because she guessed that he wouldn’t have done all that and kept in touch with her family otherwise? But she did also love knowing that he was at least keeping an eye on things for her because she knew that it was going to be a while before she was going to be able to get home again to see them all. So with getting the flowers she then powered up her computer and the first thing that she did was send them all an E mail to say thank you to them for the flowers. And as things went for that first day they didn’t end up getting any cases come in. This meant that they had a chance of going over everyone’s paperwork in their files to make sure that it was all in order and correct. 

 

When she got home at the end of the day Natalie was in for a bit of a surprise because she had already decided on having a good soak in the bath. Then she was just going to put some sweats on and order in a take out. Not long after getting home though her doorbell rang and when she went to it there was someone there with a giant basket full of stuff. When she’d signed for it and had taken it over to the table to open it, she first of all found a note from Tony saying that he hoped it would be handy after hopefully not a long first day. Then on the bottom of the note was a phone number with instructions to call it when she was ready to eat and they would bring it round for her as his treat.

As she then opened the basket she was amazed to find that it was filled with hair care products, bubble baths, shower gels and body creams along with some gorgeous big fluffy towels and a big fluffy dressing gown as well. She then found another note pinned to it saying that he hoped it was the right size, which of course it was. She then got into the bath and did have a very gorgeous soak and while she was having it she started sending out the thank you thoughts to Tony for it all.

After getting out of the bath and wrapping herself up in the sweats and dressing gown she then called the number for the food. She was then very surprised when the Italian feast turned up because it was from the nearby restaurant that she and Tony had discovered during her move in and had become a favourite of theirs. But she hadn’t got a clue as to how he’d managed to organize it all, because she knew that the restaurant didn’t do take out. When she’d had the meal she then got herself a hot chocolate and then Tony a call. They had a really good talk, but because of him working out the time difference he told her that didn’t she ought to be heading for bed before long. Then because of the way the two of them then fell into their usual joking manner over what he had said, she eventually did say that she was going to head for bed. As he wished her goodnight, she said that she would be thinking about him and that he was to also have a goodnight when his came along. They then said “Goodbye.” To one another and both did audible sighs at the end of it. Just before ending the call finally she also came very close to saying “I love you Tony.” But something stopped her from doing it. What she didn’t also know was that after she’d left he was keeping a close eye on her family for her and that very morning he’d had breakfast with Jess and Dionne. Not only that the two of them had also kept up the sign language lessons with him that he and Natalie had begun, and now he was able to keep up a really good conversation in sign. So that morning when Jess was out of the way he and Dionne had talked and she had managed to get it out of him that he was in love with Natalie. She had then told him to not waste time and to tell Natalie how he felt about her and that he did also have her blessing for a relationship with Natalie. So like she had done after they’d ended the call he whispered “I love you Nat.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our couple finally get together after her mom tricks them into admitting their feelings for one another and have some hot sexy fun! This chapter is also just a short one ending in a slight cliff hanger which takes us into the next part of this story where all the teams from New York, DC and Rota get bought together in one big investigation.

Life Changes and New Futures

 

 

Natalie finally got back to Spain again for a visit a few weeks later, but it was just for a long weekend. At the airport she was also in for a surprise because Tony actually got there to meet her. Not only that even from just seeing him from a distance did she have to swallow hard because she couldn’t get over how sexy he looked. Because in just those couple of months or so that they’d been apart, he’d lost some weight and his hair was also just slightly shorter than what it had been, plus it was also looking slightly more blonder as well and with his tan as well it just made him look so gorgeous! At exactly that same moment Tony was also having the same thoughts about her. Because he could also see that she had lost some weight, but she was also looking a bit more sculpted to what she used to. So he was wondering if she was just doing other exercise alongside her running or whether she was working with a personal trainer to help her. Not only that her hair was slightly longer than she used to have it, but even so she was still managing to keep it styled really nicely. When she finally made it to him they hugged and they both soon realized how comfortable they were in each others arms. Then after they broke apart he not only took her case from her, but he also took the bag from her shoulder as well, then as they walked out he put his free arm round her waist.

 

When they arrived at her moms and they’d had their reunion she said that she would go and get them all a coffee, but he stopped her saying that he would go and get it for them. So she then jokingly said “I think it looks as though someone has made themselves at home.” While he was gone of course her mom started a discussion in sign with her about her feelings for Tony. So she of course admitted that she was still interested in him, which then started her mom signing that she should tell him the truth about how she feels because she knows that Tony is also very much in love with her too. Not only that she also knows that he is prepared for the relationship to be a long distance one if it has to go that way. She knows that the two of them are right for each other and she really wants to see the two of them happy and as a couple they do both have her blessing for a relationship. Of course just as Natalie signs back that she is very much in love with him too and that she does really want a relationship between the two of them to work. He chooses that moment to walk out of the kitchen with the coffees in hand and of course does know what she’s saying. So with the smile that she’s giving him he returns it back to her with one of his mega watt smiles. He then puts the coffees down and gives Dionne hers, as he sits down with Natalie he takes her hand and gives it a squeeze as he says “and I’m in love with you too.” After that her mom then signs that she doesn’t mind if the two of them want the weekend to themselves, but she will expect them both to put in an appearance there at some point during the weekend though. After that Tony signs to Dionne that he promises that he will look after Natalie and that he will never ever hurt her. They then have their coffees together before her and Tony head to his apartment.

 

As soon as they get in the door at his place they share their first kiss. Before it happens though they just walk in the door and just stare at each other for few minutes in silence, and in that few minutes Natalie surprisingly starts to find herself feeling nervous about it, but then as their lips finally meet and the kiss is just slow and tender plus the fireworks start going off in her head she knows in her heart that she does want the two of them to work out. As they break apart he takes her hand and they head for the sofa and sit down to talk about their relationship. In that moment they also make the vow that they will keep it going even if they are a long way apart from each other. They also make a vow that from now on when they have a weekend where the both of them aren’t on call; they will also take a couple of personal days so that they can then have a long weekend to be together in.

 

Later on that night they go out and have their first date. For it they go to a little Italian restaurant that Tony admits to having found it for himself, but because he’d never dated after she’d left because of knowing how he felt about her she was the first he’d taken there. Not only that they’d kept up the various team things up since she left, but he hadn’t even taken them there. Because of his little confession about dating she also admitted that she’d had offers, but because of her feelings for him she hadn’t taken any of those offers up either. As they eat they hold hands throughout and afterwards as they have their coffee they begin to play footsie under the table and she somehow knows that things are going to get very interesting between them later on.

 

As they walk back to the car later they walk back hand in hand and she just loves the feel of his hands round hers. As they drive back to his apartment she can feel the nervous tension in the air, but there’s also a quiet feeling of what might happen when they get back to his apartment and Natalie finds that she quite likes that feeling. As they head up to his apartment once again it’s hand in hand. When they get in the door even though it is quite warm that night they still needed to wear some light coats, so he helps her out of hers before removing his. After that he wraps his arms round her and starts nuzzling her neck making her shiver despite the heat she’s also feeling. When he leaves her neck he then comes round to the front of her and takes her in a slow gentle kiss which is filled with anticipation. When he breaks the kiss he all of a sudden sweeps her into his arms, making her squeal as he then carries her into the bedroom. As he puts her down again gently onto her feet, he initiates another kiss, as his hands come round her to slowly undo the zipper on her dress. As his knuckles make contact with her skin it sends a shiver down her spine. As the kiss continues she reaches up to slip his jacket off, once that’s been chucked out the way she removes his tie, but he then only lets her undo the top two buttons of his shirt, before he breaks the kiss and removes her hands to kiss the palms gently, as he takes her in another kiss, his hands find their way into the back of her dress to undo her bra, as he removes it the dress drops to the floor, leaving her just in her pants. He then breaks the kiss again to let his eyes rake over her body, allowing his hands to also trace and caress her, when he also realizes that his theory is right about her topping up her running with working out, because her body is now beautifully muscular without being over the top. He also finds that he really loves the way that those muscles jump under his touch alongside the goose bumps that also come up on her skin as well. Taking advantage of his distraction, she tugged his shirt out of his trousers, as she then undid the belt buckle, button and zipper, she got her own back for the grazing for her spine, because as she undid the zipper she let her knuckles graze his growing hardness and as he groaned with her doing it, she stripped the belt from it’s loops to allow her to tug the trousers down enough for them to pool at his feet. As she went in for a kiss and he put his hand in the small of her back to bring her in closer to him, with not having looked down as she tugged his trousers off, she hadn’t realized that he’d not worn any underwear and was very surprised when his hardness made contact with her thighs, making her groan into the kiss. She then moved to finally get his shirt undone, when she’d done that, without breaking the kiss he stripped the shirt off and chucked it to one side. As she then broke the kiss to look his naked body up and down as he’d done with her, she also knew her theory was right about him having been working out as well, because he was also gorgeously muscular, but he was also thin in a way that she really loved as well. As he finally stripped her of her pants, he guided her to the bed and as they built to making love finally. For the first time in her life Natalie found she knew that she was truly loved and respected as she responded to and revelled in every little touch and kiss they shared as they made love. She also loved the way that afterwards they kissed before finally falling asleep cuddled in each others arms.

 

The next morning the two of them awoke very early and ended up going for a run together, although even that nearly ended up turning into a bit of sexy fun, because she ended up getting ahead of him. When she stopped and bent over to get some breath, he then crept up on her, put his arm round her waist and then kicked her legs out from under her. He also made sure that he went down first, so that she then land on top of him. They then had a really good wrestle with each other in the sand for a while, before it started to turn into kissing and hands wandering over each other. Once they finally got back to the apartment again all hot and sweaty, they shared a very sexy shower and had a very good breakfast together. Of course just as they had planned to go and have lunch out together before they popped into see her mom and Jess on the way back to the apartment again, his phone went and he had a call out bringing their weekend to an abrupt end. Although luckily enough where he had to go for the body was on his way past her mom’s so he was able to drop her off on the way there. Although at that time what the two of them don’t know is that body he’s about to head to and investigate, is one of many bodies that are about to turn up there, in New York and DC to pull all of their teams together in one big investigation.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the investigation which started as Natalie left Tony investigating as she left to return to New York again becomes a case with a serial killer, all the teams get combined to join in with the investigation with Gibbs and McGee joining Natalie in New York, but was is the bad news that Tony brings when he also arrives in New York?

In the next couple of months that Tony picked the case up that he had while Natalie was visiting remained open and unsolved. Even so during that time his relationship with Natalie had been going great guns, even though it was a long distance relationship for them both. As well as the two of them constantly texting each other, they did also regularly talk on the phone and E mail each other, as well as of course the phone sex! The thing that Natalie loves the most though and it started from the first day she was back at her desk again after the weekend they had got together, which was to find a bouquet of flowers from Tony sitting on her desk, he would also do the same thing on a Friday unless they were having the weekend together in New York, then he would bring them with him to the office when he came to meet her.

At the end of a week a few weeks later and a weekend when the team were on duty they caught a case and when she got back to the office after being at the crime scene, as she started to check through case reports from the other offices because there had been something bugging her at the crime scene and it had felt really familiar for some reason to her. She then found that the details were very like a victim and a similar crime that the team in DC had picked up recently; in fact it had only been on the day before. Not only that as she started to look into things more she finally discovered that between both of the murders there were some details the same as what had been in Tony’s current open case as well. So as soon as she found it she was straight on the phone to the director about it. A little while later he called her back and he told her that because of the way the two murders in New York and DC had happened so close together he was going to combine the teams together, so that they could all work together on it including forensics and the ME’s. He’d already put a couple of extra members onto Gibbs team and would also send a couple more people to join hers as well, not only that Gibbs and McGee were flying out as they spoke to also join her team, especially with it looking like they had got a serial killer working in both areas. They were still waiting on the confirmation about the body in Rota being apart of things as well, if it was confirmed to be so then he would also be getting Tony’s team involved to. Just after she and the director finished their conversation she sent Tony a quick text to say what was going on and that she’d got Gibbs and McGee on their way to join her. She also told him that if his case was confirmed in being apart of things as well, then he would also be joining with them. He sent a text back thanking her for the warning and also wished her luck for being with Gibbs. 

As things turned out just as Gibbs and McGee arrived at the office they got a call out to another body, the team were just packing up to leave for the crime scene as they stepped off of the elevator. As the others walked past them and onto the elevator she stopped and said “Agent Gibbs agent McGee it’s good to meet you, but if you would like to join us we may have another body.” She then had a little smile to herself as they got into the elevator with her and fell into place with them.

At the crime scene she did her usual overview of things before she started helping with the sketches and photo’s etc. When Cally their ME confirmed that it looked as though the body did have the same wounds as before, but that they would know more when they got back and she’d done the autopsy. Of course once they did get back and the autopsy was done it confirm that they did have yet another victim, so when they reported it to Vance he put both the DC and Rota teams on standby just in case they had another victim turn up in one of their jurisdictions next. As they kept pushing on with the work it was Gibbs that in the end said that he didn’t want to tread on anyone’s toes, but he thought that they should call it a night, get some rest and come back to it fresh in the morning. Not only that she had also noticed that as they all worked Gibbs did seem to be watching her closely, but she did also start to get the feeling that perhaps his trust in her was growing and that they would have a really good working relationship. So after she’d agreed to Gibbs suggestion as everyone was packing up she kept looking through the notes she’d taken because she could see something there, but couldn’t work out what it was and that it was really bugging her. As he was watching her Gibbs could see that she’d got something, but that she couldn’t see what it was because she was just so tired. So he went over to her, put his hands on her desk and looked her right in that face as he said “Leave it, go home, rest and you will see what it is when you come back to it again.” He then got up and moved to round behind her, pulled the chair out with her still on it, picked up her bags and gave them to her. When she finally got up he took the bags from her again while she got her coat on, as she took the bags off him again she asked him if he and McGee had managed to organise somewhere for the two of them to stay. When he said that they hadn’t, she told him that there wasn’t going to be any arguments from either of them and that they could stay with her.

 

While the two of them got settled into her apartment she got them all some food and as they proceeded to have a really good night of food and conversation she soon realized that a real friendship was blossoming between them all. Of course just as she was taking a shower before going to bed what she was looking for sprung out at her. So rather than getting into her night ware as she was going to do, she rushed out and got dressed instead, telling Gibbs that she was heading back to the office again.

Within about five minutes of her leaving the apartment and because of her not answering her cell, Tony then called the apartment and of course got taken by surprise when it was McGee that answered it, so of course he jokingly said “McGoo what are you doing there?”  
To which he answered with a smile “Natalie gave me and Gibbs a place to stay.”

Tony then asked “Is she there?”  
He answered “She’s just gone back to the office, what is it?”  
He then said “Can I talk to Gibbs?”  
After answering “Yeah sure.” McGee handed Gibbs the phone and mouthed “Tony” at him. Gibbs then said “What is it Tony?”  
He answered “Can you get to the office and be with Natalie please, I’ll be getting there as soon as I can.”  
Hearing the concern in Tony’s voice he then says “What’s wrong?”  
Tony’s sighs and answers “We’ve finally had the confirmation that our case is connected with all the others and I was coming out there anyway to join you. I don’t know if you know it, but her mom has been ill for a very long time. She’s been feeling ill recently, but Natalie’s brother and sister made me promise not to say anything to her unless it was really necessary. Today she took a turn for the worse, so I’ve got Lee our SFA coming out to you with me, as I need to bring Nat back here to Rota with me because her mom was rushed into hospital and it’s not looking good. I know what it means if she’s gone back to the office and it might be better if you see what she’s got rather than her having to end up explaining it to you on the phone and I also think it might be better to have someone else there when I tell her the news about her mom.”  
Gibbs says “Ok I’m just going to leave now and I’ll see you when you get here.”  
He replies quietly “Thanks Gibbs.” And they both then end the call.

 

When Gibbs gets back to the office it’s to find a couple of large maps with things on them laid out on the floor and Natalie kneeling on the floor with them and the paperwork out in front of her, as she studies everything. When she all of a sudden senses Gibbs presence, because she was so far gone in studying everything she never even heard the elevator ding as he arrived, she turned and with a smile said “Oh, hi.”  
As she put the paperwork she had in her hand down and he helped her up from the floor he then said “What is all of this?”  
Because of having put the maps out on the floor at the end of the bullpen, she hands him some of her notes then takes his hand to get him round to her side as she then replies “Ok I could be wrong so that was why I was just trying to work it all out. I think that our suspect is a Phillip Jackson.” She then grabs the clicker and brings his picture up on the plasma for Gibbs.  
He then says “Why do you think that it’s him?”  
She answers “Well that was what I was just working out. But he’s an ex-agent and with doing some digging ages before I’d thought about applying for the team lead job at Rota, he applied for it and didn’t get it. Then obviously we don’t know what was said when he got the turn down for it, but it appears that he then had an argument with Jenny about it and the outcome of that was her giving him the boot. I know that it’s a bit out there, but I’m wondering if she did the same sort of thing with him that she had done with me over the job. So he hasn’t then gone onto find out what happened with me over the Rota job and thinks that because he got passed over on the chance of the job there and here as well with being sacked, and that me and Tony have then subsequently got these jobs over his head. Because from looking at his file he was an agent long before me and Tony were, as well as becoming SFA’s before he did as well.”  
Gibbs then says “But then why do the murder in DC and why your suspicion?”  
She answers “I think he did the one in DC because he was in France when he got the news about not getting the Rota job. It also appears that he may have also done something there not long after getting that news, which I’ve been trying to find out what it was he did. But whatever it was lead to his recall to DC and the subsequent row between he and Jenny. I’ve got the suspicion because as I was doing this digging on him, it seems that he was probably heading for dismissal anyway, because during a visit to Rota to his girlfriend he beat up his then girlfriend, at the time of his return to France he was awaiting to hear if he was going to be charged with anything for it or not, so I’ve also managed to get hold of her injury report as well.” She then brings up a copy of the report up on the plasma and then adds “Something seems familiar in the pattern of her injuries with what we have found with the wounds on the bodies of our murder victims.”  
Gibbs then points to what she has on the floor and asks “So what’s all of this about?”  
Again because of she and Gibbs talking she managed to miss the elevator ding and she then jumps when a voice from the end of the bullpen answers for her “It’s her thought process, as she always complains that maps are too small to be looked at on a screen.”  
With her surprise she then says “Tony, what are you doing here?”  
Stepping over everything to join she and Gibbs he answers “I’ll tell you in a minute, but first of all you might want this.” He then hands her a file and adds “Before we got the confirmation that our case was also connected to the others, we were looking up if there were any other crimes that involved injuries exactly the same as those on the victims. We found three possibles, but one of those cases also involved our man here. He was arrested and charged after beating up another one of his girlfriends in Rota. The charges got dropped when both the victim and a witness to the incident disappeared.”  
Gibbs then says “Ok call people and get them in. Before you do anything else Natalie call Cally and Trent in, get copies of these reports to Abby and Ducky as well, and to Tony’s forensics and ME in Rota, get them all to conference on their findings and also get Ducky to do a psych eval too.”  
With that she goes to her desk to do it and Tony goes to borrow one of the other desks to do his, while Gibbs is also on his phone he starts to study her map and notes. When she and Tony finish what they’re doing, because of no-one else having managed to get into the office yet he leaves a note for McGee explaining that he will explain everything to everyone when they get in, because for now he is dealing with something private. After that the three of them then disappear into the office the director uses when he is there for a visit, so that they can tell Natalie the news about her mom in private.

Of course Natalie doesn’t take the news about her mom very well and ends up in tears, but she does also end up being surprised because as well as Tony giving her hug, Gibbs does the same as well. As he does so he also kisses the top of her head and tells her to worry about her mom and the rest of the family rather than the case, because they will all handle it all for her with the great work she has done on it so far. If it ends up coming down to it they will also get their suspect for her. Just before finally letting her go he then tells her to go and use the directors private bathroom to freshen up, then to go home and get packed up to get home to her family in Spain.  
When she disappears into the bathroom Gibbs then turns round to Tony and says “Look after her Tony won’t you?”  
He replies “Of course I will Gibbs, especially as I have a feeling that this is going to get pretty hard at times.” He then adds a bit quieter just in case she can still hear him in the bathroom “To be honest I am glad that she has been away from it all in the last few months, because I think that if she had still been with us in Rota then she would have ended up completely giving the job up, especially as she is just as stubborn as her mom and sister are, that’s why they took the option to keep it quiet about how sick Dion really was. I’m just hoping that she has the strength to get through all of this.”  
Gibbs says “I think that she will get through whatever is thrown at her as she is a very strong woman, yes it may get hard at times for her and I know what she’s been through as I did do some checking on her after getting your call. But she had the strength to step up as team leader while still being a carer for her mom. Then between you and her family you all gave her the strength to get through both what Jenny had done to her and also what she was trying to get you to do and finally you all also gave her the strength to take this job here and leave her family and you as well. She’s a bloody good agent Tony and you will keep giving her that strength to keep going, and we will also all be here for you and her as her work family. Plus she’s in love with a very special man who I know will be there for her, and that’s you Tony.”  
Tony answers with some surprise “How did you know that we were together? It’s only been for a few months and she is a very special woman and you’re right she does have some amazing strength. I could see it in her in those first few months that we were together in Rota, working together. With the way that she did her job so well, being there for her mom as well and also doing the fund raising stuff too and I have a feeling that is why I do really love her so much.”  
Gibbs says “I had a feeling about how you felt because of the way that you wanted to be the one to get her and tell her the news about her mom. She then confirmed it for me because of the way she reacted when you spoke, as she was dying to just come and jump on you, but she stopped herself, even so it showed on her face just how much she was in love with you. Just look after her and be there for her. If you need anything at all, promise me that you will give us a call. We may not be able to do much with this mess of a case, but we can be here to listen and help where we can.”  
Tony replies “I promise you Gibbs that I will be here for her and I will really look after her and I will be in touch with you if we need anything at all.”  
When Natalie comes out of the bathroom, Tony then ducks in there himself for a quick freshen up. While he’s in there once again Gibbs gives her a hug and kisses the top of her head as he says “You know that we’re all here for you and if you need anything at all you just have to give us a call. I know that we may not be able to get to you because of the case, but we are for you if you need us.”  
She does a weak smile up at him and replies “I know that you are and thank you. Just promise me that if it is Phillip that has done this you will get him for me.”  
He says “I promise you that we will get him. But also make sure that you look after yourself and also that man of yours, because you know that he does love you very much.”  
She replies “I know he does and I love him very much too.”  
He says “And that’s what you need is to get through this together, especially as I have a feeling that your mom would want you to make this work and has already given you both her blessing, so be strong together.”  
She replies with a chuckle “I’m sure that we will be. It’s a bit of a long story, but as well as giving us her blessing, she was also the one that got us together, even if she did trick us into it.” As Tony then comes out of the bathroom, he comes over and wraps his arms around her as she then adds “Mind you, you did also trick me as well, because you hadn’t told me that you’d continued your lessons with mom and Jess after I’d left.”  
He says with a smile “Well I did want to be able to understand what you were all talking about when I was with you all, seeing as I had already been in the position of not understanding when people are talking about you in front of you.”   
As he then lets go of her he nods at Gibbs and with some puzzlement she says “What?” He then says in sign that Gibbs also signs. The both of them then laugh as they see the look on Gibbs face as he finally falls in with what they were talking about with them being tricked into getting together as he then says “Aaah she tricked you into signing things, making sure that he also saw it.”  
They both smile at him and in unison say “She did.” After that the three of them share a final hug, before she and Tony then leave for Spain.


End file.
